OCR

‘ 12 ' COOL BURK.
“ I-I don‘t know."
“ You lie! How caiiie you here alone?
Answer iiie quick, for I have friends with-
in lieariiig of my Voice."
“ ’l‘lie v:ip'ii left me to see who went
alonrr iii the road.”
‘ “ fust as I su ) iosrd tVho is our cap-
. .7 . 1 1 . . . y
tain?
“ Duff Stone.”
“Where are his headquarters? Don’t
dare to equivocate!”
“ Don‘t-don"t! you‘ll kill me!”
“That I mean to unless you tell me the
truth.”
“Oh, I will; he‘s gone to the canyon
with the girl."
A new light dawned upon Burke’s
mind.
“The girl! ha! I see. Duff Stone and
his road-agents captured her as she came
along. Tell me where he has taken lier?”
Burke Stantoifs seeming ferocity in-
creased with his excitement, and bending
forward he fliriist his revolver close into
the frightened road-ageiit’s face.
“ He‘s gone to Black Hole-oh!"
As the exclamation left his lips the
wretcli sank to the earth, overcome with
terror.
VVith a cry of surprise Burke sprung to
the ground and knelt beside him.
Raising one of‘ the arms that lay limp
beside the prostrate form, he found that
lt was powerless.
Dropping it, Stanton arose to his feet.
"Strange,“ he muttered, “ the shock
was too iiiucli for him. But I have no
time to regret the demise of such a vil-
lain as he."
Regaining his saddle, with a last look
at the still iiiotioriless figure, he rode back
into the road and on toward l)unlap‘s.
At nearly the same time he reined up
at the tavern, four liorseineii drove into
the yard from another direction.
The party (‘()llSlSi?‘(l of Mad Max and
his companions, just from Black Hole
low.
The meeting was opportune.
Making known in a few words to them
his errand. Bui-ke then bade the four to
reinaiii in the l).'l('k;.','l'()lll1(l, while he call-
ed out old I)iinl:ip to get a wagon.
I iitteiiiigfover his siirpi'iso at Staiitoifs
story, the old fave-rii-kee ier at first re-
fllH('(l to believe-. it: but tlie sight of the
oflic-r‘s l‘f‘V()lV('l'('1HlS('(l liiiii tocliaiigc his
iiiiiid. or, at la-iist, yield to Burk:-‘s re-
quest.
“ .‘-lighty quiver doiii's!" growled the old
um .i. :15’ hi- l('ll the way totliv stable. “I'll
but 'l‘lH‘-hlftll-l"l‘1illl-IiUll(!‘l’llH! is at the
bottom of it."
“ Morv'ii like-Iy." replied Biirke, as lit-
helped hitch the horse to an old wagon.
Thai; 35 hetpickegid up the reins to (1 give
away, e con inue : ' . ,
“ You may expect the team back in the
Inorning.' . , - I
“ I sha‘n't be S’pr1sed ef N31 d<t>l1]l(‘tr
come at all," he muttered, as U0 0
dr‘9‘I’esl)ig"n‘t keer, Burke Stanton, fur jg;
hev left a hoss worth moren tll‘vl1“].‘x’l'.‘..
lazybones, with the wagon tlirowei ir M
and he chuckled to himself with an 8
satisfaction. ' . ) boy
“ VVho was it, uncle?” asked avaicc, [,1
hind him, and he turne(l to see Roma
Dunlap. H
“ VVhat, you out, Rome?
‘ “Yes; I am worth a dozen dead 1119“-
But you hav’n’t told who l'.lla.l'i‘llla.ll w.t-“L .
“ ’Twas Burke Stanton. bottle 1“tl"f
the stable an’ see what ye think Of t
hoss he hzlxsl left ip my hands as sure ,
for that 0 ( teani. ’ .
The other followed liiiu into the ‘build-
ing, but as his gaze fell upon the new a
imal, he cried: , I , ,6 .
“ Great Caesar, uncle, that is the 101;
I rode from Grass Hill! How came But
skin Burke by him”! . 1 . H
“ He did not tell,” replied the ol( Ill-1
in surprise. 1 . (I
“ Of course not; he has too level a iut ‘
for that. But, Uncle Dunlag, t‘he"’j‘ .1’
mischief a-foot, mark my wor s. D0‘l'.‘:
gone! The-Man-Froni-Lone Pine at"!
erty, and Burke Stanton anion I15-‘V
tell you there is work for us to 0. l ff
must not lose another in . L00k]‘l‘ V
er affairs sharp here; I am 8' to I0 0‘
Buckskin Burke." ' .t
“ Be keerful, Rome; he is ft flesperf
character.’ Better take some 0 the bots
with '0u.’ ,' . ,,
“I gan do best alone in work like this.
and the next instant he was following
swiftly upon the course of cool Burke.
CHAPTER XI.
THE MIDNIGHT TRAIL.
Buckskin Burke was joined by Mad,
Max and his party, and together the.‘
went down the road. , .
'l‘liey found the four anxiously Waiting
for them by the ruins of the sta. e.
Glad were the cominissioners onio:-t
the iiiiiiers. . r
“ If my men don‘t come in the iiioriiiiu:
you must go with us to Black Holhm.
said Mr. Redwing.
“ But did you meet a liorseiiian l.>e'.tW9“!‘
liere and l)iiiilap‘s!" “ .,
“ A liorseiiiaii?“ echoed Stanton: H0-
“(i‘rordoii Doiiley, the Marysvillc Sl""’".Q
lator, has been here within five llllnlltE?‘-
Burke looked surprised.
“ Impossible,” he said.